The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) team will share their vision for the design system as a product, including USWDS Web Components and other new things the team expects to deliver in 2025.
2024
Blogs
Government teams are improving digital experiences every day. Gain insights from their stories, case studies, and innovations.
Crafting quality content throughout its lifecycle
Learn about the life cycle of content, how content comes across to the user, and how to develop a content management strategy.
You’ve launched, now what? Planning for the future of your content
Creating quality digital content is not a one-time endeavor. Explore these approaches to managing and improving excellent digital content over time.
Tips for building a small, scrappy digital team
Explore hiring strategies, how to leverage contractors, and creative approaches for building your digital team.
Enhancing the customer-centricity of GSA websites
An overview of GSA’s website evaluation process, which combines qualitative and quantitative data to assess website management and performance.
Making the case for human-centered design: A Department of Justice case study
The Access DOJ initiative shares nine lessons on making services more accessible, effective, and efficient.
Building a tool to make mail in voter registration more accessible
Vote.gov partnered with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to create an accessible tool for filling out the National Mail Voter Registration Form. It simplifies the process with features like screen reader compatibility, mobile-friendly design, and state-specific instructions. Available in English and Spanish, the tool reduces errors and helps state election offices process forms more efficiently, making voter registration easier for everyone.— via USA.gov
18F Folks: Adopting a new illustration library
18F adopted a new illustration style, 18F Folks, to better represent the broad spectrum of human experiences. Moving away from simple bust portraits, this updated style captures more complex emotions and human interactions, fostering a stronger sense of connection. By focusing on inclusivity, 18F aims to make government content more relatable and welcoming, ensuring everyone feels valued and understood.— via 18F
Understand how search engines work, how people search online, and who is your audience — while recognizing language and cultural differences.
2024
The U.S. Web Design System team will share the product and engineering principles they’re using to guide the development of the design system.
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2024
Making targeted improvements to NPS.gov: A case study from the National Park Service
NPS enhances user experience on NPS.gov by integrating Digital Analytics Program web analytics data and customer feedback from GSA Touchpoints.
Are social media influencers right for your digital media campaign?
Learn how to work with social media influencers to achieve your goals, while accounting for different budgets.
18F’s year of launches
Over the past year, 18F has helped partner agencies launch innovative software products to improve the public’s experience with the federal government. From helping Get.gov simplify domain requests to working with Notify.gov to develop a new public benefits texting service, the six projects featured here focus on putting their users first. Learn more about how these launches emphasize the importance of user research and strong partnerships in delivering better government services.— via 18F
Simplifying manual accessibility testing: How plain language instructions drive compliance
Testing for accessibility ensures that digital services are usable for everyone. Explore how the Office of Natural Resources and Revenue (ONRR) streamlined their manual testing process with plain language instructions to create a more uniform testing methodology across their agency. By balancing detail with usability and continually updating resources, ONRR empowers both their small team and subject matter experts to meet Section 508 compliance.— via Office of Natural Resources Revenue
Building a culture of customer experience across government
The Life Experience teams contain lessons for establishing a culture of customer experience in government, shifting to a focus on organizational practices.
Uncovering impactful solutions through user research
Get an overview of what user research and user testing are in a federal context. Learn what policies apply and what resources are available.
Delivering a digital-first public experience: One agency’s plan
Learn how the U.S. General Services Administration is tackling the 100+ requirements of OMB memo M-23-22, Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience.
The U.S. Web Design System team will share their exploration of Web Component-based design systems and best practices.
Watch Video
2024
How our developers and accessibility specialists work together
Planning for accessibility is critical to creating more inclusive digital experiences. Discover how developers and accessibility specialists from USA.gov collaborate early in the development process to ensure that their government websites are accessible for everyone. By following established accessibility standards, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, USA.gov proactively reduces the need for later fixes.— via USA.gov
Data.gov launches metrics tools
New Data.gov metrics dashboard provides information on most visited datasets, most downloaded files, most clicked outbound links, top search terms, and more.
